Outrage as body of missing 7-year-old girl discovered in Khayelitsha

In a tragic turn of events that has sent shockwaves through the community, police have launched a murder investigation following the grim discovery of a 7-year-old girl's body in Khayelitsha on Wednesday morning.

The child, who was reported missing just hours earlier on Tuesday evening, was found abandoned near her home in Nambuzane Street, Kuyasa, between 7 and 8 am.

Police spokesperson, Wesley Twigg, confirmed the grim discovery: “Harare police registered a murder case for investigation after the body of a 7-year-old girl was discovered on July 23 between 7 and 8am in Nambuzane Street, Kuyasa, Khayelitsha.

“The victim sustained injuries to her head and was declared dead at the scene by medical personnel.

"According to reports, the child was reported missing (Tuesday) night. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation, and arrests are yet to be made.”

The incident has sparked outrage from anti-gender-based violence organisation Ilitha Labantu, which described the murder as “a betrayal of our collective responsibility”.

“The murder of a child is an act so heinous that it shakes the very foundation of any society. It is not merely a crime but a betrayal of our collective responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us,” said spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali.

“That a child can go missing in the night and be found discarded on a street the next morning reflects the deep and ongoing failure to safeguard children in communities where violence has become routine. This incident is not an isolated case.

“It forms part of a broader and deeply troubling pattern of violence against children across the country. From sexual abuse to trafficking to murder in the home or on the street, the common thread is a lack of real protection and a state response that is reactive at best and absent at worst. Families are forced to navigate these tragedies alone while perpetrators roam free and communities live in fear.”

Monakali said the tragedy demands more than just condemnation and requires a nationwide intervention.

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